Just One World Away
by JustAShinobi'sDream
Summary: Uchiha Fugaku was not always as we know him. He was also a teenager, a problem to his parents, loyal to his friends, but what a disastrous lovelife! Yet how did he manage to capture Hoshizora Mikoto, girl of his dreams who was a whole world away?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: King of the Ring and the Queen of Sting

"You are a descendant of the Uchiha clan, and therefore, you must uphold the honor that is bestowed on us," the man said. "This clan is considered as the most powerful within the Village of Konoha, and it is your duty to maintain the good reputation it has already gained." He rapped the stick he carried sharply on the table. "Do you understand?"

Fugaku quickly sat up ramrod straight and dismissed his expression of boredom and disinterest. "Not really—I mean yeah, yes. Of course, oto-san. I do understand."

"Good. So does that mean that you will not anymore engage yourself in useless battles like some bird in a cockfight?"

He suddenly looked up. "Wha- what? How did you know that?" Fugaku asked. He hastily corrected himself. "I mean, what made you think of that?"

His father gave a crooked smile. "Don't ever think I'm too old not to suspect such a thing and do nothing about it. Fugaku, my boy, I didn't really go straight to the age of sixty, you know. I also passed sixteen. And I have to admit, the idea of participating in those fights was quite appealing."

"A ne? If you did, then there's no reason why you should prevent me from joining them. I mean, well, if you found them quite...er... appealing, do you suppose I could still...um...you know?" he looked at his father apologetically, but likewise grinning.

Suddenly, the old man's expression became stern again. "I never said you could still participate in activities such as those. Furthermore—"

"But oto-san, you did say I had to take pride in the Uchiha clan's strength. Well, I'm letting the others see how strong we are!"

Slowly, his father shook his head. "No, Fugaku. I'm talking about—never mind." He looked away. "Perhaps I presumed you were already old enough to understand, but maybe I was wrong." Then in a louder voice, he added, "Just listen: I don't want you in those fights again. The next time I hear you've been in them again, I will personally make sure you will never be allowed to go out again on your own without an escort. Is that clear?"

Numbly, Fugaku nodded his head. Satisfied, his father turned to leave the room and slammed the door closed, leaving his son to hang his head in disappointment.

After a few moments alone, Fugaku slowly stood up and crept upstairs to his own room. _Why can't I just even be allowed to go to the places where the fights are being held? Even if I don't fight, I still want to be there._ The truth of this was that whenever Fugaku went to 'cockpit' battles, fighting was not his only reason to stay there.

He quietly went over in his mind the reason why he always went to those fights...

_It happened last month, when Fugaku's friend dragged him into one of the arenas._

"_Come on, Fugaku. Be a sport. You know you can take on them easily. With that kekkei genkai you've got, they'll all be reduced to ashes in seconds."_

"_I can't. Honestly, I can't. I mean, the idea of it is pretty appealing, but I'm forbidden."_

"_Not just this once? No one will notice. Besides, don't you think it would be a good idea to let them all have a taste of Uchiha power?"_

_He hesitated. It wasn't that bad, and it certainly didn't sound like he'd die if he went to a fight. On the other hand, his friend was right. Showing a little of his power could be exciting._

_Slowly, Fugaku nodded. He sighed. "But just this once. After this fight, no more."_

_His friend patted him on the back. "Just what I thought you'd say. Of course you're gonna do it just once. It's entirely up to you when you want to fight."_

_Fugaku's attention was riveted when applause sounded from the people, especially those surrounding the arena. When he looked, he saw a giant of a man standing triumphantly over the body of an equally large person._

"_Our winner is the great Bullfighter!" More applause sounded. The announcer glanced at his copy. "Next, our fighter who will be facing the king of the ring, um...er..." he turned to Fugaku and his friend. "Do you have a nickname you could use?" he whispered._

_Fugaku shrugged. "Uchiha Fugaku will do," he said._

_The announcer turned back. "Our next fight will be the great Bullfighter versus Uchiha Fugaku!" _

_A murmur rose through the crowd when Fugaku stood in the ring. He looked like a midget compared to the beefy man next to him. The crowd began cheering, and 'Bullfighter' started raising his arms in acknowledgement of the applause. Fugaku rolled his eyes._

"_Let the fight begin!"_

_At once, the huge man ran towards Fugaku, attempting to hit him with his head. The Uchiha was very surprised, especially because this was the first principle in fighting: never do direct frontal attacks on your opponent especially if you didn't know what they could do._

_He smiled. If this man didn't take note of even the most basic principles in fighting, it would be a piece of cake. He sidestepped the man, and grabbed his massive arm. Fugaku hurled it with all his strength and Bullfighter got thrown off. He hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Roaring in rage, once again, he set off for the Uchiha but using the most basic taijutsu, in a matter of fifteen seconds, the match was over, and Fugaku had won without even breaking a sweat._

_The announcer hurriedly went in the ring and knelt before the huge man, touching his arms for bruises. "It looks like we've got a new winner folks," he said, standing up to face Fugaku. "The first ever man who was able to beat Bullfighter, Uchiha Fugaku, the King of the Ring!"_

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice sounded. "King of the Ring indeed! If it wasn't for your ability to fight, I would have called you a Weasel."_

_Fugaku turned to watch who had insulted him. He started to open his mouth for a reprimand, but stopped himself. Immediately, his first thought was, _My God, she's beautiful,_ and he continued gazing at her with admiration._

_She ran to where the defeated Bullfighter now lay, and touched him carefully. "No, what will I tell mother when you go home bruised up again? What's gotten into you? You're supposed to be my brother!"_

_Fugaku approached her and touched her shoulder but she gave a start and pulled away, glaring at him furiously. "You could have killed my brother," she snapped at him._

_He sighed. "But I didn't, did I?"_

_His friend walked towards them. "Lady, do you know who you are talking to?" he put in. "He is Uchiha Fugaku, from the most powerful clan in the Leaf."_

_She balled her hands into fists and held them to her sides. "Uchiha?" she mocked.. "So what about it? I don't care. The fact is that you hurt my brother, and you will pay dearly for what you did."_

_With this, she slung an arm of her brother and made her way out through the crowd, leaving Fugaku and his friend with their mouths open. _

That was everything that happened. From then on, Fugaku could not get off his mind the face of the young girl he had seen. That was why he always went to battles, hoping to catch a glimpse of her there. And now, every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was a vision of a fair young girl with dark black hair and deep, green eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Frank Doesn't Do Anything...

"Mikoto!" someone called. "Mikoto?! Where are you?"

Hoshizora Mikoto slowly sat up, opened her eyes, and rubbed them hard. She yawned drowsily. "Mmm," she mumbled. She stood up, and then entered the bathroom. After washing her face, she slowly made her way downstairs to eat breakfast.

Her mother was there, together with her brother, Ryen. He was sitting in a chair, paralyzed and one of his arms was bandaged. He grinned when he saw his sister, then almost immediately winced at the pain.

She laughed. "Doesn't seem like you'll be helping me till the farm today, Ryen," she said.

He nodded glumly. "I know; that last fight was rather nasty. I wasn't up against an Uchiha, you know."

"Why do you even have to go to those fights, anyway?"

He shrugged. "Just for fun. To pass the time with."

Mikoto shook her head. 'I can't see why you take pleasure in doing that—"

"Mikoto!" their father came bursting in. "I've been calling you since a while ago, child. There's someone here to see you. I suggest you prepare yourself as best as you can, for our unexpected visitor." Their father looked excited.

Mikoto stared at him curiously. "Really?" she asked. "Who is it?"

"Me," a deep voice arrived.

They all turned towards the door. Someone walked in, and immediately, Mikoto's father drew up a chair saying, "Master Uchiha, er... do sit down," he invited awkwardly.

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," he replied. He turned to Mikoto, looking at her directly.

The moment he turned his full gaze towards her, Mikoto immediately recognized him at once. Before she could stop herself, she was releasing a tirade of words.

"You?! What are _you_ doing in _my_ house? Probably to pick a fight again? Well, I'm going to tell you something. If you think you can harm my brother again, you can't because you've already done enough damage and I'm going to make sure you don't do that again—"

"I came here to see _you_ not your brother," he put in wearily.

She stopped. "What? I mean why? I don't know how to fight, and besides, well..."

"I'm not looking for someone to pick a fight with," he said.

"Well, that's good, so now you can probably go out and leave—"

"Mikoto!" their mother exclaimed.

She looked at her mother guiltily and back to the stranger again.

"So your name is Mikoto," he remarked. "Mine is Fugaku. Uchiha Fugaku."

"As you recall, it was already advertised," she returned icily.

He seemed flustered. "If this is a bad time, I guess I should go... I mean, we'll probably meet another time... "

"Iie, it's alright, she's just in a bad mood because she just came out from bed," their father put in.

He stopped. "In that case, please allow me to speak to your daughter alone. I wish to have a few words with her."

"We can talk outside," Mikoto offered. She didn't want her family leaving just because he wished to speak to her alone.

"That'll do nicely," he said. Together, they walked to the barn.

"Why do you want to speak to me?" Mikoto demanded. She wasn't going to engage in small talk.

"You're frank, aren't you?" he asked, wearing an amused expression.

"Hai, if you really want to know, I am. So get to your point straight away."

Fugaku took a deep breath. This was it. "I don't really know how to start this, but I suppose I should ask you something. Do you remember the first time we met, in the arena?"

She frowned at him. "Of course I remember. What about it?"

"Don't be surprised, because I'm going straight to the point, like you asked me to. Mikoto, ever since the first time I laid my eyes on you, I could never get you off my mind."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I Like You... Not?

There. He had said it. Now, all he had to do was wait for her to say yes, or no, and that was it.

Instead, she did something he did not expect her to do. Mikoto threw back her head and laughed. "That was a good one, a really good one," she commented. "You had me there for a moment."

He sighed. "I'm not bluffing or anything. Honestly. I meant what I said."

"Sure you did. Yeah, right. You must have eaten something weird for breakfast this morning. Or maybe it could be lack of sleep?"

Fugaku tapped a foot impatiently. "There's no need to laugh; I'm telling the truth. Well? What's your answer?"

"Answer? What answer?" For a moment, she seemed momentarily confused. "What was the question?"

He shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway, I guess I just wanted to ask you, could we be friends? I'd love to go to your house from time to time."

"Are you serious? Are you kidding?" she said disbelievingly. "I still don't like you, Uchiha Fugaku, and I never will." And with that, she strode off out of the barn.

Fugaku stared after her. _We'll see about that, Mikoto, we'll see about that,_ he thought to himself.

o0o

Mikoto rushed out of the barn and rushed upstairs to her room, her green eyes flashing furiously. She ignored the stares of her family, only thinking about what Fugaku had told her.

_How dare he,_ she thought. _How dare he beat my brother up and have the guts to come here telling me he likes me!_ She decided to calm herself instead of worrying about something. After she had closed her eyes, Mikoto suddenly sat upright, recalling something she had thought.

_Why did I even assume he likes me?_ She wondered. _Besides, where did I ever get that idea, anyway?_ Then, tired, she slumped back amongst the pillows and slept her troubles away. Strangely enough, she dreamt of Uchiha Fugaku.

o0o

Fugaku stood in the barn awkwardly, wondering what he was going to say to Mikoto's parents. Surely, they would have noticed she was mad at him, and there was no telling what they would do to him.

He sighed, and went inside the house to ask permission to leave.

"Uuh... actually, I just wanted to say that I'm leaving... uh... er..." he stammered. "I guess Mikoto hasn't really been in a good mood today."

The father nodded. "You may go. But could you mind telling us why our daughter seems to have a distaste of you?"

This time, he was really in a very uncomfortable position. Luckily, the guy he had defeated saved him from embarrassment.

"That was nothing, father. Mikoto just got annoyed because he... er... he's one of her suitors, I mean..." he looked helplessly at Fugaku.

"Actually, yes, I am." Fugaku lied. _Although I don't think I'm lying anymore._

Their mother stood up. "Why didn't you say so? We could have prepared more for your arrival. Is Mikoto really like that to you?"

As she spoke, a sly smile formed on Fugaku's lips. "I don't mind coming back on another day, when Mikoto is in an... er, less irritable mood. Is next week enough?"

"Why, yes, of course. Anytime."

"Thank you. I'll be going, then." He put on his cloak and went out the door, his smile still present.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: An Uchiha, the Market, and Lies

Mikoto woke up the next morning, and got up drowsily. After taking a quick shower, she immediately went down to prepare breakfast, since it was a Monday and her parents would be in the marketplace.

She clambered down the stairs and rushed towards the kitchen. To her surprise, her parents were still there, calmly sipping cups of tea.

She stopped. "Okaa-san! Oto-san! What are you doing here?" Mikoto exclaimed. "I mean, I thought you were supposed to go to the—"

"We were," her mother cut in. "Unfortunately, I and your father are feeling... well, a bit unwell, so, we thought we'd ask you if you'd like to be the one to go there instead, for us."

Mikoto shrugged. "Of course, if it shouldn't take all day, I'd be happy to oblige."

"Oh, our list is not that tiring and hard to find," her father assured her, grinning. "Besides, I think it would be a good experience."

Mikoto eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean? I've been to the market lots of times, before."

"What your father means to say, is that the exposure would be good for you," their mother put in.

"Exposure? What are you talking about—I mean, hello? Exposure?" she eyed them both suspiciously. "Since when have you ever considered 'exposure' for me?"

They both grinned and simultaneously scratched their heads.

"Oh no!" Mikoto exclaimed. "You've decided to let me become a stall vendor, right? Or you want me to start working as an entertainer? Maybe as a singer?" she frantically roamed around.

Her parents laughed all the more. "Of course not. It's just... well, you didn't tell us..."

"About what? As far as I know, I haven't kept anything from you."

"Really? Oh, well, maybe you haven't; it just wasn't obvious that day he came..."

"What wasn't obvious?" Mikoto demanded.

Her mother and father kept on scratching their heads.

She tried to piece the pieces of the conversation together, into one big whole meaning. In spite of her best efforts, Mikoto couldn't piece them together. She shrugged carefully. "Oh well, maybe I will go to the market today... I mean it's not such a big deal after all..." and she went outside, banging the door closed.

o0o

"Isn't she just beautiful?" Fugaku whispered to his friend. "The image of a goddess."

"Yeah sure, I'll be leaving you to your pathetic daydreams, Fugaku. But I really do have to get going."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Good luck." He rolled his eyes. "I hope you get your girl. Well then, bye!"

"Wish me luck!"

Creeping up, Uchiha Fugaku craned his head a bit to look at Mikoto from behind the bushes. There she stood, of course as beautiful as he ever dared to think. She was wearing what seemed to be a shapeless bundle of cloth and had tied her silky hair into one careless ponytail. _When she'll be mine, I'll have to give her clothes that would enhance her beauty,_ Fugaku thought.

"Master Fugaku?" a voice sounded.

He turned around abruptly. "Not you! What are you doing here?!" he cried to a servant of theirs. "Oto-san told you to look after me, didn't he?" He cursed. "Well, you can go now as I'm not doing anything bad or worse, or something like that."

"After seeing you behind bushes that doesn't seem so believable."

Fugaku groaned in frustration. "Just go! Watch me from a distance or wherever you want; just don't reveal my hiding place!"

The man looked at him with a confused expression. "What are you hiding from, anyway?"

Uchiha Fugaku looked him in the eye. "You!" And with a puff of smoke, he disappeared, leaving behind a piece of log and bewildered servant cursing, "Kawarimi... I'll get him..."

o0o

_I wonder where the fish are,_ Mikoto wondered. _They were at this end of the market before. Maybe the stalls were changed._

"What are you looking for, pretty miss?" a voice sounded. Mikoto turned around and blushed. It was a man draped in a heavy cloak. He held a basket of fish in one hand.

"Fish!' she exclaimed. "That's what I was looking for!" Fugaku nearly fell to the ground on seeing her wide smile. His disguise was a success!

"How many would you like?" He began to rummage through the basket.

"Hachi. One for me, two for okaa-san, two for oto-san, and three for Ryen." Mikoto handed him a bill.

Suddenly, Fugaku felt flustered. He hadn't brought any change with him! _Dammit,_ he thought. _How stupid of me._ He scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see Mikoto, I didn't bring change—" he broke off. _Oops, my mistake again. _

She looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly, Mikoto's face gave way to a furious expression. In a single fluid motion, she had thrown off his cloak to the ground and he stood there, smiling nervously with a basket of fish in one hand. "Hello?" he tried to say.

Unexpectedly, she grinned. "Oh, I see. Since you're so keen on following me wherever I go, I better make you of some help." She grabbed the whole basket of fish from his hand. "Fugaku, arigato. This is going to last us a whole week! Bye!"

"H—hey! Wait a sec!" he called. "Mikoto, come back! Come on! Why won't you stop and talk to me? Hey!"

She walked on, bringing her bundles and not heeding a single word of his. Frustrated, Fugaku summoned up a small amount of chakra, and with a burst of speed, he appeared in front of her. Without a word, Mikoto simply turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Listen to me!"

"Who?" she asked innocently. "Are you talking to me?"

"Exactly, and I want you to know, I really like you, Mikoto. I even told your parents I was one of your suitors... okay, it was my mistake..."

Her green eyes flashed in defiance. "I don't think you have the right to lie to my parents, and you are certainly not one of my suitors!" she hissed. "Plant that in your mind. If you want your fish, here, you can have it." She thrust the basket into his hand and started walking away again.

"No, you can keep the fish—" He said, and she immediately grabbed it again.

"Once again, thanks, Fugaku, may I never see you again. Have a good day!!"

He stared glumly at her disappearing figure. "Whatever. And you're welcome." _But still, you should know I'm not the type to give up. _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: What A Small World After All

Mikoto slammed her basket of fish on the table.

"Mikoto!" her mother exclaimed. "Did something happen? And how come you got lots of fish?"

"I got it from that loser, Fugaku."

"So he's really trying to court you—"

"That's not true! That is precisely one of the reasons why I don't like him. He's not a suitor of mine, he's not courting me, and even if he did, I am so not going to give him a piece of my gratitude! I don't like that guy, he lied to you, he beat up Ryen, and now he's stalking me like a shadow!"

Her parents looked at her with a strange, funny expression. "Uh... well, thanks for the fish, Mikoto, and everything else," her father said. "We didn't realize that he was lying. But, well, I've never seen anyone as... dedicated to a... woman... as he is."

"That's his problem. The woman's not dedicated to him." She sighed. "I'm serious. I'm dead tired of his crazy antics, and I don't want to see his face again. I mean, what does he see in me? Well, either way, I don't like him."

Her mother nodded. "That's okay, child. But next time, try not to be too rude to him. Men are serious when it comes to proposals or courting, no matter how silly and stupid they sound. Just try to get out of his way, okay?"

Mikoto nodded and smiled at her mother. "Okay. I'll try."

o0o

"I thought I told you not to go somewhere you're not allowed in," Fugaku's father reprimanded.

"I didn't go there!" he prtested heatedly. "And I'm not dpoing anything funny. I really didn't do anything."

His father eyed him. "What can you say about... you using the Kawarimi to throw the man I employed off the trail?"

"I simply didn't want to have a tail. And I swear I wasn't doing anything wrong! It was... was... nothing."

"Are you planning to tell me anything?" his father asked. "Or will you wait to be _made_ to tell everything?" There was a few seconds of silence.

"It was a girl," he admitted. "I really like her a lot. The problem is, she doesn't talk to me."

This time, his father smiled. "I see. Well, if that's it then, I don't see any reason why I should worry. You should introduce us sometime. That is... er... if she ever talks to you."

Fugaku got up wearily. "Wish me luck."

"I will. Your mother wasn't easy to get too, you know." Both men smiled conspiratorially. Fugaku walked outside the door, and closed it. After thinking, he decided to go for a short walk along a secret place of his somewhere in the mountains. It was a nice meadow, with serene surroundings and a small cave for shelter whenever it was necessary. _That's exactly what I need. A peace of mind._

o0o

"Mikoto?" Fugaku asked, his eyes wide open. "What are you doing here?" He had gone up to the trail leading to the meadow. Surprisingly, he had found her there, lying on the grass.

She sat up. "You followed me here!" she accused.

"No!" he protested. "I really didn't. If you want to know, I've known this place ever since I was five. And I'm not that crazy to go traipsing off a woman all the time just because I like her very much. You want me to leave? Fine!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am terribly, terribly sorry for not having uploaded for a looooong time. You see, our computer got destroyed, and all the memory went down the drain. I had to get my handwritten copy and retype it all over again, BUT I could only do it when our PC was delivered back from the repair shop or whatever you call it. And THAT didn't happen until, like, almost a week. **

Chapter 6: So We Are Finally Friends… 

This time, it was he who started going down the hill.

Miraculously, she called, "Er... wait! Well, I'm not that coldhearted too, you know. If you want, I'll leave and... er... you can stay here."

He turned around. "You mean it?"

She grinned apologetically. "Yep!"

"Oh, you don't have to leave you know. And,... er... as hard as it is, I promise not to talk to you about love or courting or anything annoying. As of now, we are just friends and nothing more."

"Can I trust you? You sure?"

"Swear it with my Sharingan. Is that okay with you?"

She smiled. "Don't bother, you look like somebody with sore eyes.It's fine with me. Make sure you keep your promise. So, come here and tell me about your family."

Fugaku grinned and sat to where she indicated. "My family? Hmm, not much to tell. Mainly, it's boring at home. Why are you interested in my family anyway?"

She shrugged. "I guess I want to know what it's like being a family member of one of the biggest clans in Konnoha."

Fugaku chewed on a piece of grass. "Like I said, it's boring. You know Uchihas are supposed to be big and strong and perfect, and so, everybody expects us to be. You know what? It's tiring sometimes, the way everyone expects you to always be brave, ready to defend the land, and so on...but I just want to live a normal life. That's all, really. But you should see the way the others carry themselves. They look like fools strutting around. You'd think by now they know how stupid they look, but no! They parade themselves, bearing our crest, and proclaim themselves as Uchihas. Wonderful. Perfect...ly embarassing."

"Oh? And does your...father know how... wonderful your opinions are about his clan?"

He adopted a strong, stentorian voice. "You must uphold the honor that was bestowed on the Uchiha clan," Fugaku quoted his father. In his normal voice, he added, "That's what he always says. Somehow, it never imbedded itself in my head."

Mikoto had to chuckle at his imitation of his father. "You're constantly getting yourself into trouble. Is that it?"

He looked at her unbelievably. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Women's intuition. I have a lot of it." She sighed. "Never mind. You probably don't have a single idea about it. But aren't you lucky to be dreadfully wealthy? I mean, you've got servants, large houses, and whatever else there is to be about being rich."

He gave a short laugh. "Ha! Oh, we're wealthy all right. But our father doesn't even let us buy new shirts. He says we need to save money. But for what, I don't know. Our meals are simple everyday, and we wash our own clothes. The servants are for cooking and cleaning the house. Some of them manage the business. And some of them are bodyguards."

"I see." She was quiet for a minute.

"Mikoto?" Fugaku waved a hand in front of her. "Are you alright?"

She caught his hand in midair. "Of course I'm alright. I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking?"

"You have a pretty nice hand in spite of all the training you people do." She examined his fingers. Fugaku didn't try to grab it back. It was a dream come true that she was holding his hand.

"You've got an amazing talent in changing the subject. What were you really thinking?"

"About how rude I was to you those past days." She let go of his hand. He didn't seem to notice. "Please forgive. I deeply apologize for my earlier behavior. I guess I was pissed off."

"You didn't have to say that. That's understandable. I wouldn't want my own brother to be knocked out. Anyway, Ryen forgave me. He said so, the day you stomped off to your room."

"That's good." She remained silent again. This time, he didn't prod her on. Fugaku resorted to watching her silently. Now that she was up close, he could see that she really was quite a woman. There was a certain aura about her that seemed to say she wasn't just any girl, but one-of-a-kind. She was also quite beautiful, inspite of the shapeless bundles she called clothes. But the most intriguing part of her were her eyes. They were a deep, emerald green, and you could lose yourself into them if you looked for too long. Fugaku liked that about her. And more so, he liked the fact that she wasn't whiny like other girls. She had a strong sense of individuality, and at the same time had a strong spirit. Hoshizora Mikoto was a one-in-a-million, and Fugaku would gladly give up his title of Uchiha to have her as his own.

"Do you ever think?" she interrupted his reverie.

"Huh?" he asked, a bit dazed.

"I asked you if you ever thought too."

"Oh. Of course I do. This is my favorite place to think. You see, it's calm. And I like the way you can see the sky when you look overhead."

"That's nice."

"How about if I say you can go here whenever you like?"

She laughed. it was the first time he heard that sound, as sweet and clear as a rushing brook. "You mean it? You can bet on that. So what should we name the place? Between us, I mean."

"Name?" he thought for a moment. "You decide. I can't think of anything. I'm terrible in names."

"Oh," she looked away for a moment, and he thought she looked a bit crestfallen at what he said. _Is there really such a big deal in meadow names?_ Fugaku wondered. Well, maybe women actually took strange interests in naming gardens and meadows.

Thankfully, Mikoto herself drove the thought out of his mind by smiling and saying, "Okay, maybe I'll think of something later. It's got to be nice, shouldn't it?"

"Er.. yeah, yeah…" he grinned like an idiot and rubbed the back of his head.

Mikoto glanced ather watch. "It's five minutes to seven! I have to get going!" She picked herself up and ran speedily down the path.

Fugaku had already sighed when suddenly, she came up again, and bowed, saying, "I'm grateful to be your friend. I'm sorry I was rude. I hope we can still be friends. And I'm still sorry, 'cause I have to be home by now. Bye!" And she sped off again, completely out of sight.

"It's… okay, and yeah, we can still be friends," Fugaku muttered to the meadow.

**A/N: I'd like to state my thanks to my reviewers, ****KaLye**** and ****xo Misunderstood Kunoichi ox****. Thanks a lot guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Fire Out the Fire Within

"Those mongrels are really getting out of hand!"

"Yeah, we know, but we need to do something about them! We can't just let them go on desecrating our good name. it's time for action!"

Fugaku stopped on his way to the bathroom, and his nagging feeling to do Nature's call disappeared. A soft, illuminating light was emanating from the guest room, and he heard many voices inside, his father's among them.

"We can't wipe all of them out... we just have to choose the ones who are the worst."

"And how do we do that? Pause and look at their faces? Most of them live on the side of the mountain. That is where we attack. Those bandits are trying to hurt our country!"

"Well, we can't wait any longer. We've got to wipe them out. Now."

"Today?"

"This very minute."

They whispered some more about their plans. Fugaku listened intensely, drops of sweat sliding down his face. When somebody announced the meeting adjourned, he quickly made his way back to the room. So the ever great Uchiha clan was going to wipe a tribe of bandits out. On the side of the mountain, where Mikoto lived.

Mikoto liived there! Fugaku sat up ramrod straight. If they were going to attack, they weren't going to pause and look at faces. That much he understood. If they saw Mikoto's face, they weren't going to stop. _What's happened to the honorable Uchiha clan? They're engaging themselves in their own pride, and not the people's safety. _He had to do something. Within minutes, he was dressed. And Uchiha Fugaku was clambering down the steep slope of the mountain which would shortly be on fire.

o0o

"What's happening?" Mikoto rubbed her eyes. She had already fallen asleep when she heard a short commotion happen. Going outside her room, she was surprised to see her parents with a group of people wielding knives. "Okaa-san? Oto-san?!" she exclaimed. "What's happening? Where's Ryen? Hey—"

"Don't try to take a single step further, lady," a man snarled, eyeing her from up to down and holding a knife to her throat. She stopped.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a not-so-nice way.

"Having some fun."

"Pick on somebody your own size."

The next thing she knew she was sprawling on the floor, and her vision swam with different images. She faintly heard voices, belonging to her parents. Mikoto sat up. A thin trickle of blood slid down from a corner of her lip. Slowly, she brought herself to a stand. There had to be at least eight men in the house, all of them smelling foul and dirty.

The man who hit her gestured to his comrades. "Get the others. Leave no one alive. And then kill the—"

"Mikoto!" her mother screamed. "Get out of—" she was unable to finish as one of the bandits thrust his sword through her stomach. Mikoto screamed. "Okaa-san!" she turned to the bandits and tried to hit them with her fists. They all laughed. At the same time, her father was struggling to drive them away.

"Mikoto! Do as I tell you. Get out of here before they do something!"

The man nearest him laughed. "Don't worry, we won't harm your girl. She's a pretty prize and she shouldn't go to waste. You know what I mean?"

Her father got up and slammed his fist into the man. "Say another word and you'll—ugh..." he went down, as a thick dagger was plunged into his neck.

Once again, Mikoto screamed and tried to break free of their grasps. "Look what you did! Animals! Get out... of my house!!!" she shouted. "Let me go!" she struggled. Summoning all of her strength, she bit the man's hand and stomped on his foot. Because of a hole they had made in the wall, she furiously ran and went outside, to where the whole countryside was on fire. The men didn't bother to follow, and she didn't bother to stop and rest.

Always running, Mikoto closed her ears to the villagers' cries and concentrated on getting herself safely towards a place. It had to be the worst night in her life. Blindingly clutching at everything she could hold on to, she dashed up the hill and ran without knowing where she was headed.

o0o

"Damn it, where are you, Mikoto?" Fugaku cursed. He had been up and about for thirty minutes, and fifteen minutes ago the fight had begun. Chaos was literally reigning the countryside, and when he had gone to her home, it was a burning mass of flames. He was ready to break down and cry, but by gathering information many people said they had seen the girl escape before her house was engulfed in the blaze.

"Hey, you boy! You want some fun?" a bandit approached him and grinned, showing uneven teeth and a crooked, evil smile.

Fugaku shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm looking for someone. Do you happen to have come across a girl with long black hair and emerald eyes?" he was saying it to get rid of the hooligan, but the man surprised him by answering, "Yeah, all of us did."

"Where?" his voice was raspy. "Tell me."

The bandit roared in laughter. "I couldn't have seen a more spirited woman anywhere. She fought us like a caged tiger. I had to hit her to make her stop."

Fugaku grimaced. "You hit her, huh?"

"Yeah, I did. Wanna know how?"

"Like this?" with a spinning axe kick, he sent the man flying away five meters or so. Fugaku brushed off the dust from his hands. "There." Suddenly, in the distance, he spotted Mikoto miraculously through the fire running frantically. Her hair was a wild tangle, a part of her skirt was torn off, and blood ran down a corner of her mouth. Some distance ahead of her, Fugaku saw a large group of the filthy men.

Running, he hid behind a tree. As Mikoto passed, he covered her mouth with his hand, stifling her scream while pulling her into the safety behind a huge rock. "Sh... it's me, Fugaku... I want you to keep quiet, alright? Just keep quiet, and stay close." She nodded, tears falling down her pallid cheeks.

Slowly, he crept out and faced the oncoming group of thugs."You going somewhere?" he called out.

One of them faced him. "You don't know what you're dealing with, boy. Or should I say who? Now get out of there and thank us on your knees for sparing your life."

"Why should I when you didn't spare theirs?"

"So you talk back, eh? Men, get him." in two seconds ten people rushed towards him but using taijutsu and his faithful shurikens, he knocked them all out. The leader gaped at him. "Who are you?"

He casually twirled a kunai round his hand. "Uchiha Fugaku. Why?"

"Uchiha."

"Yeah."

The next thing he knew, the fool was running down the path, away from him. Fugaku couldn't resist a small chuckle. It was then that he remembered: Mikoto. He went back to check on her behind the rock.

"Hey."

She looked up at him, and without warning, Hoshizora Mikoto flung her arms around Uchiha Fugaku, crying silently with her head on his shoulder. There was a flash of lightning and a roar of thunder, and Fugaku's shirt became damp because of Mikoto's tears, and the rain.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Drawn to the Other World

"You will never stand up against the Uchiha clan."

"Oh yeah? I thought I was part of it." Furious fighting followed after the flash of lightning, and went on for a matter of time.

"I never thought you were the one who set those bandits up. You are just a disgrace to us."

"It doesn't matter as long as you die. Katon Goukkyou no Jutsu!"

"Sharingan!"

The battle continued on and on. Finally, when it was over, at about four in the morning, a servant discovered the body among the scattered dirt and debris. "Oh no... Master... what will I tell your son? How do we break the news to Fugaku? You're... dead." Slowly getting up, he looked at the mangled body one last time, and finally, walked away.

o0o

The rain stopped. Fugaku had brought Mikoto to the meadow earlier, where they sheltered in its cave. For an hour or so, she sat down there, unmoving, not saying a word, except to tell him that her family was gone. Fugaku had gotten off his cloak and given it to her. Finally, Mikoto dozed off to sleep, but the sadness was still etched in her face even while she slept.

Somehow, after all the ghastly tumult that night, Fugaku felt very tired and worn-out... he found himself also asleep beside the woman who now was and wasn't his.

The next morning, when the Uchiha awoke, he found his cloak beside him and Mikoto gone. Instantly, he got up and went outside to find her. When the girl really wasn't anywhere to be found, on an impulse, he started going for the path to her home.

Ten minutes later, he had reached the farmhouse, which was now covered in ruins. Mikoto stood at the end of the house where the front door would have been. Everything was charred and burnt, and the smell of it was heavy in the air—in fact, smoke still continually rose now and then from the countryside's remains.

Fugaku approached cautiously. "Mikoto?"

She looked at him, apparently startled. Stifling the urge to cry, she hurriedly wiped her swollen eyes which were felling tears just a moment ago. "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you... be... in your...house?"

He tried to smile. "I don't mind... being here with you." Silence.

"They're all... dead." she said this as though a realization had hit her. Mikoto shivered.

"I'll help you get to any relatives you've got..." his voice trailed off. It was then that Fugaku realized: just yesterday he was chasing her because he had a stupid childish crush on her. Now that he had seen her break down, seen Mikoto in front of her family's destruction, seen her at her vulnerable moment, what did her think? What did he feel? Was it still a crush...or something more? Or had it all gone away?

"I don't have any... both my mother and father were the only children in their family. My grandparents are dead... we're not like your clan... numerous."

"Ryen?" he regretted mentioning it after seeing the tears fall down her face again.

"No sign of him. Nothing. I didn't see him last night. And I don't know what happened to him." she sniffed.

"I see." Fugaku dared go closer. He touched her shoulder. "Why don't you go with me?"

It made her look up. "What do you mean?"

"Go to our house. You're not thinking of living in that cave, are you?"

She shook her head. "I never thought of it."

'I suppose that you don't have any food, money, clothes and shelter. Or do you have something else in mind?"

Mikoto hurriedly stood up. "Maybe I can find a job."

"Yeah, if you're up to it."

"Up to what?"

"Walk for about a minimum of three miles to the nearest civilization. As you can see, this one's wiped out."

Fire flashed in her emerald eyes. "Then I'll have to. Wait," she suddenly said. "Why aren't there any bandits here? What happened to them?"

"The Uchihas wiped them all out too."

"They did?" she looked the teeniest bit satisfied. "How?"

Fugaku looked away. "They...uh... they..."

"Say it." Mikoto looked him in the eye, searching his face for any helpful sign.

He took her hand. "They burned the whole countryside so that the bandits would be trapped in the fire together with... the villagers." His voice ended in an undertone. Fugaku could practically feel all the blood drain from her hand.

"Then it was your family that made me lose my home?" her voice was a mere whisper. "But... how did you know? You were with me last night... that means... it means you knew! You knew about it! Why didn't you tell me?" Mikoto's face was a mask of horror. She snatched her hand away and turned to the other direction.

"I only knew minutes before they took action. I didn't have any time to warn you and I couldn't stop them..."

"So now you're offering me your home as exchange for the loss of mine?" she spoke in an icy cold tone.

He didn't answer. After a moment, Fugaku decided to tell her the truth of what he felt. "I don't know exactly what you're going through, if you'll forgive my saying. I can't even imagine the pain you're feeling after finding your parents dead—"

"I didn't just 'find' them dead, they had blades thrust through their bodies _in front_ of me."

'...Yeah. well—"

"There you are Master!" a familiar hated voice sounded.

_Dammit,_ Fugaku thought. _I don't need any disturbances now. What's that fool doing here?_ Mikoto was likewise staring at him with a look that plainly said it all: Get out of here and return to your nice big mansion with servants calling 'Master! Master!' wherever you go.

Before any of them could say a word, the man had run up to him and broke the news, "I'm so sorry to say this, Master Fugaku, but you ought to know: your father's dead. We found his body charred beyond recognition and it was only because of the weapon near him that we identified as his."

At the sound of this news, Fugaku felt all the wind blow out from his lungs, and he felt as if his whole body was numb. He could just remember the statement he said: _I can't even imagine how you feel._ Now, he knew. And once again, they were just the same with Mikoto after all. Little by little, he felt himself drawn to her as Fate made them closer and closer to each other in spite of one fact: their lives were a world away from each other.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: New Lives 

"You're awake now," a woman's voice said.

The muscular, well-built man stirred a bit more, and sat up painfully. "Where am I?" he managed to croak.

"You're with friends," she replied, eyes twinkling in half-jest.

He looked around him, and besides the woman, saw a little girl sitting in the far corner of the room, hugging a younger boy. She had blonde hair just like her mother, and brown eyes like the boy.

"Like I said, you're with friends," the woman repeated.

"Where is this place?" he asked again.

"I'll tell you in a moment, when you're ready. But before I say anything, I have to ask you first: Who are you, where did you come from, and what happened?"

He almost grinned. "I asked you a question and you reply with three?"

She smiled. "You are at liberty to refuse my questions. However, since this is my house, I would prefer if you show a bit of courtesy by at least giving some hints about the man who I took in last night."

"Hey, hey, I didn't mean it to sound that way! I'm—" he stopped.

"What's the matter?" she asked, eyes full of concern.

He stood up and shook his head violently, as if throwing something away from it.

"Are you alright?"

He turned to face her. "I… think I need a few moments to gather myself…"

Her jesting smile disappeared. "Of course. By the way, this is your room, unless you want to go away, obviously. We'll leave you here alone so that you can regain your strength. Come along, Tsunade, Nawaki." She held out a hand to each child, and they took it, allowing the woman to drag them out of the room.

Five minutes later, he stepped out of the room, and silently remarked to his hostess, "I don't know why, but… I don't remember who I am… how can that be?"

And as she looked back at him, he saw that she did not know anything about him either.

o0o

_Back in The Village's Ruins_

The servant led Fugaku towards home, and he in turn held Mikoto's hand in his, silently telling her to go with him.

o0o

As soon as they entered the huge iron gate, Mikoto's eyes widened. If she just didn't feel horrible, she would have gazed in rapture and wonder at the small compound.

Lots of cherry-blossoms lined the path, some of them pristine white and some light pink. A row of wooden benches with intricately carved designs were placed decoratively near a huge oak tree, which had ivy vines wound around its massive trunk. The walls on all sides faithfully held the Uchiha clan's insignia, and there was a consistent wide gravel path branching out at various intervals, leading towards the very doorsteps of the houses surrounding the compound.

Mikoto was not surprised to learn that they were heading for the biggest house, it seemed, but frankly… she did not anymore care.

The door swung open, and out stepped a formidable-looking man. His strength was clear… it was defined from the lines of his face, the way he stood, carried himself, and gazed at a person. He spoke to them in a quiet but authoritative tone.

"Have you already been told about what has happened?"

Wordlessly, Fugaku nodded.

The man let out an almost inaudible sigh. "Very well then, as the eldest son, you already know your duties and responsibilities."

No response.

Ignoring the lack of answers, he continued, "The funeral will be held three days from now. That will give us enough time to prepare ourselves, and to deal with everything that has been damaged." He paused. "Is there anything you need to know?"

Fugaku shook his head.

Mikoto had remained silent all along, and now it seemed as if the strange gentleman had noticed her for the first time. "By the way, Fugaku, you fully well know this is not the time to start running wild with women everywhere—"

"She's not just _any woman_," Fugaku finally showed a flash of anger. "She's Hoshizora Mikoto, my friend, and her family died because of the attack last night. I'm certain I have a conscience to repair our clan's guilt, and she's gonna be staying here under the decision of the eldest son. Me." He stared straight into the man's eyes.

"So be it," he answered without hesitation. "Just make sure you can deal with anything, such as consequences, that may come up." He turned to go.

Fugaku unexpectedly said in a broken voice, "Don't you even care that my father died?"

"Child, I don't think I want to parade my feelings about someone dying… not just yet." And without another word, Uchiha Madara walked away, long cloak trailing behind him.

Mikoto and Fugaku stood silently alone, as a single cherry blossom slowly fell through the air and landed at their feet.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 1: King of the Ring and the Queen of Sting

**A/N: Hi guys, thanks to all who reviewed you made my day! I know it's been so long since I updated, sorry! By the way, in this chapter, I've included some of the information from the manga… to all those who watch the anime only, don't worry about spoilers because the info I've put in is not very relevant. **

**So happy reading, R&R!**

Chapter 10: The Senju Clan of the Forest

The First Hokage scrutinized the stranger his daughter-in-law had taken in. The man was certainly well-built, with large muscles, shaggy black hair, but with kind eyes and a composed demeanor.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

The Ichidaime sighed. "I should be asking you that, but I'm aware of your situation. I'm the first Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Hokage?"

"Yes. And the one who took you in was my daughter-in-law. Tell me, do you remember anything, even the smallest fragment of your past?"

The man shook his head. Silence.

"I see. However, there's one other thing I need to clarify." The Hokage stepped closer. "You see, we have to accept the fact that there are enemies all around and that each one of them wouldn't hesitate to send a spy pretending to have amnesia, and then report back to the foe. You know, Sir, that this village has been newly founded but is already well-know. It wouldn't do for us to fall for an unlikely trap like that."

"Wha— I…You think I'm a spy?! I've lost my memory, for crying out loud! And you expect me to… to attack you in your beds?!"

"Calm down, man. Revealing you innocence only involves a single technique. If you agree on undertaking it, it will also lower our suspicion of you a bit."

"You honestly think a person with amnesia makes a good spy?"

"Of course not. It's the vulnerability of your mind which is the dangerous aspect. For all we know, somebody could be overseeing this conversation through your eyes at the moment. Or maybe he could be hearing us through you very ears. He could be controlling what you say."

The man fidgeted with his fingers for a short moment, then looked up with a grim resolve. "Fine. I'll go through that test of yours. And if I… pass, or survive… you'll have to help me too."

"To what?"

"Regain my memory. What else do I need to do?"

Slowly, but just as firmly as his words, the First Hokage nodded and said, "Good. It's a pact between us then."

o0o

"I'm not supposed to be doing this," Mikoto whispered half to herself as she was led by Fugaku himself to one of the rooms in the huge and spacious house.

"Neither am I," Fugaku murmured back. They turned into a corridor and entered the first room. "You can stay here Mikoto. It's an extra room we keep here for guests, so you're free to use it however you want."

He stepped back and allowed her to look around, taking in the sight of what would be her new abode. It was a medium-sized room, with one window and a bed that was situated in one corner. A closet stood next to a dresser, and there was a little shelf stuck to the wall. A poster bearing the Uchiha crest was thumb tacked to one side of the wood-paneled walls. A candle lay on a desk, with a box of matches beside it.

Fugaku laid a hand on Mikoto's shoulder. "It'll all turn out okay. Trust me. Um, I—I need to go now… the others must be waiting for me downstairs."

"Yeah, they probably are," Mikoto answered, surprising even herself. "Go on. I'll—I'll stay here."

Knowing it was too inappropriate to say anything else, Fugaku left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving her behind.

_I'm too tired to cry. _Instead, Mikoto sunk down on the bed, curling herself up into a small ball and hugging the pillow tight, fully aware that it was cold, unlike the sensation she had when her mother, father, Ryen, or Fugaku… held her close.

o0o

"Finally, you've come down boy. Faster now. We haven't got all day."

"Don't be so harsh Akito, the lad's just lost his father… "

Fugaku couldn't care less about what the others were saying. Wearily making his way towards the dozen or so people present, he kept his gaze down and wondered about what else he had to deal with next.

One of his relatives asked, "What really happened, anyway? How could one of those bandits have killed someone from the Uchiha clan?"

Uchiha Akito cleared his throat. "That's the problem. You see, a mere bandit would _not_ be able to kill an Uchiha. That much is obvious. And another thing is, while the rest of you were here, some of us have gone to the battlefield to inspect the place. We found some weapons strewn on the ground covered with the deceased's blood." He took a deep breath and continued, "However, they weren't any normal weapons. Each one of them had an insignia inscribed onto them." He paused again and opened his mouth, but Fugaku beat him to it.

"You mean the Senju Clan of the Forest?"

Akito turned towards Fugaku who had a steely glint in his eyes. "Yes. The Senju Clan. The clan which is famous for it's Wood Jutsu. The clan which has been our competitor and rival, and the clan where our proud Hokage belongs."


End file.
